Lausanne has a population (as of November 2015) of 146,372,[6] making it the fourth largest city in Switzerland, with the entire agglomeration area having 420,000 inhabitants (as of March 2015).[7] The metropolitan area of Lausanne-Geneva (including Vevey-Montreux, Yverdon-les-Bains, and foreign parts) was over 1.2 million inhabitants in 2000.[8]

The Romans built a military camp, which they called Lousanna, at the site of a Celtic settlement, near the lake where currently Vidy and Ouchy are situated; on the hill above was a fort called Lausodunon or Lousodunon (The "–y" suffix is common to many place names of Roman origin in the region (e.g.) Prilly, Pully, Lutry, etc.).[4] By the 2nd century AD, it was known as vikanor[um] Lousonnensium and in 280 as lacu Lausonio. By 400, it was civitas Lausanna, and in 990 it was mentioned as Losanna.[4]

Saint-François square, c. 1840

After the fall of the Roman Empire, insecurity forced the residents of Lausanne to move to its current centre, a hilly site that was easier to defend. The city which emerged from the camp was ruled by the Dukes of Savoy and the Bishop of Lausanne. Then it came under Bern from 1536 to 1798, and a number of its cultural treasures, including the hanging tapestries in the Cathedral, were permanently removed. Lausanne has made repeated requests to recover them.

After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, Lausanne became (along with Geneva) a place of refuge for French Huguenots. In 1729, a seminary was opened by Antoine Court and Benjamin Duplan. By 1750, 90 pastors had been sent back to France to work clandestinely; this number would rise to 400. Official persecution ended in 1787; a faculty of Protestant theology was established at Montauban in 1808, and the Lausanne seminary was finally closed on 18 April 1812.[12] During the Napoleonic Wars, the city's status changed. In 1803, it became the capital of a newly formed Swiss canton, Vaud, under which it joined the Swiss Federation.[4]

In 1964, the city played host to the Swiss National Exhibition,[13] displaying its newly found confidence to play host to major international events.

From the 1950s to 1970s, a large number of Italians, Spaniards and Portuguese immigrated to Lausanne, settling mostly in the industrial district of Renens and transforming the local diet.

The city has served as a refuge for European artists. While under the care of a psychiatrist at Lausanne, T. S. Eliot composed most of his 1922 poem The Waste Land ("by the waters of Leman I sat down and wept").[14]Ernest Hemingway also visited from Paris with his wife during the 1920s, to holiday. In fact, many creative people — such as historian Edward Gibbon and Romantic era poets Shelley and Byron — have "sojourned, lived, and worked in Lausanne or nearby".[15]

The city has been traditionally quiet, but in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a series of demonstrations took place that exposed tensions between young people and the police. Later demonstrations took place to protest against the high cinema prices[citation needed][16], followed by protest against the G8 meetings in 2003.[17]

The most important geographical feature of the area surrounding Lausanne is Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French). Lausanne is built on the southern slope of the Swiss plateau, with a difference in elevation of about 500 metres (1,640 ft) between the lakeshore at Ouchy and its northern edge bordering Le Mont-sur-Lausanne and Épalinges. Lausanne boasts a dramatic panorama over the lake and the Alps.

In addition to its generally southward-sloping layout, the centre of the city is the site of an ancient river, the Flon, which has been covered since the 19th century. The former river forms a gorge running through the middle of the city south of the old city centre, generally following the course of the present Rue Centrale, with several bridges crossing the depression to connect the adjacent neighbourhoods. Due to the considerable differences in elevation, visitors should make a note as to which plane of elevation they are on and where they want to go, otherwise they will find themselves tens of metres below or above the street which they are trying to negotiate. The name Flon is also used for the metro station located in the gorge.

The municipality includes the villages of Vidy, Cour, Ouchy, Mornex, Chailly, La Sallaz, Vennes, Montblesson, Vers-chez-les-Blanc, Montheron and Chalet-à-Gobet (871 m (2,858 ft)) as well as the exclave of Vernand.

Lausanne is located at the limit between the extensive wine-growing regions of Lavaux (to the east) and la Côte (to the west).

Lausanne has an area, as of 2009[update], of 41.38–41.33 square kilometers (15.98–15.96 sq mi) (depending on calculation method). Of this area, 6.64 km2 (2.56 sq mi) or 16.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 16.18 km2 (6.25 sq mi) or 39.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 18.45 km2 (7.12 sq mi) or 44.6% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.05 km2 (12 acres) or 0.1% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km2 (2.5 acres) or 0.0% is unproductive land.[18]

Of the built-up area, industrial buildings made up 1.6% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 21.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 12.5%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.4% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 7.5%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 11.1% is used for growing crops and 4.2% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes.[18]

The municipality was part of the old Lausanne District until it was dissolved on 31 August 2006, and it became the capital of the new district of Lausanne.[19]

Lausanne has an average of 119.7 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives 1,153 mm (45.4 in) of precipitation. The wettest month is May during which time Lausanne receives an average of 117 mm (4.6 in) of rain. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 12.1 days. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 67 mm (2.6 in) of precipitation over 8.8 days.[20]
The USDA Hardiness Zone for Lausanne-Pully is 8b with an average minimum temperature of -7.0 C over the past 20 years (1997 - 2016), but at the lake level, it can be considered 9a.

The Municipality (la Municipalité) constitutes the executive government of the City of Lausanne and operates as a collegiate authority. It is composed of seven councilors (French: conseiller municipal/conseillère municipale), each presiding over a directorte. One of the members act as mayor (syndic). In the mandate period 2016–2021 (la législature) the Municipality is presided by Monsieur le Syndic Grégoire Junod. Directoral tasks, coordination measures and implementation of laws decreed by the Communal Council are carried by the Municipality. The regular election of the Municipality by any inhabitant valid to vote is held every five years. Any resident of Lausanne allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the Municipality. Since 14 April 2003, due to the constitution by canton of Vaud not only Swiss citizen have the right to vote and elect and being elected on communal level, but also foreigners with a residence permit of at least 10 years in Switzerland and 3 years in the canton of Vaud.[23] The current mandate period is from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2021. The delegates are elected by means of a system of Majorz. The mayor is later on elected as such by a public election as well by a system of Majorz, while the heads of the other departments are assigned by the collegiate. The executive body holds its meetings in the Town Hall (L'Hôtel de Ville), in the old city on Place de la Palud.[24]

The Communal Council (Conseil communal) holds legislative power. It is made up of 100 members, with elections held every five years. The Communal Council decrees regulations and by-laws that are executed by the Municipality and the administration. The sessions of the Communal Council are public. Unlike members of the Municipality, members of the Communal Council are not politicians by profession, and they are paid a fee based on their attendance. Any resident of Lausanne allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the Communal Council. Since 14 April 2003, due to the constitution by canton of Vaud not only Swiss citizen have the right to vote and elect and being elected on communal level, but also foreigners with a residence permit of at least 10 years in Switzerland and 3 years in the canton of Vaud.[23] The Parliament holds its meetings in the Town Hall (Hôtel de Ville), in the old city on Place de la Palud.[26]

Lausanne has a population (as of December 2016[update]) of 137,810.[2] As of 2013[update], 42% of the population were resident foreign nationals.[29] Over the last 10 years (1999–2009) the population has changed at a rate of 9.9%. It has changed at a rate of 8.3% due to migration and at a rate of 2.6% due to births and deaths.[30] The population of the greater Lausanne area (grand Lausanne) is 402,900 (as of December 2014).[7]

Of the population in the municipality, 58% or 80,828 have a Swiss citizenship, while 16,908 or 12.1% are from Lausanne and still lived there in December 2013. There were 27,653 or 19.8% who are from somewhere else in the same canton, while 36,276 or 26.0% have a Swiss citizenship in another canton. 58,9562 or 42.0% have a foreign citizenship.[6]

In 2000, most of the population spoke French (98,424 or 78.8%), with German being second most common (5,365 or 4.3%) and Italian being third (4,976 or 4.0%). There were 62 people who speak Romansh.[31]

In 2008[update] there were 840 live births to Swiss citizens and 623 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 862 deaths of Swiss citizens and 127 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 22 while the foreign population increased by 496. There were 9 Swiss men and 57 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 2230 non-Swiss men and 1802 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 883 and the non-Swiss population increased by 2221 people. This represents a population growth rate of 2.6%.[32]

The age distribution, as of 2009[update], in Lausanne is; 11,818 children or 9.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 12,128 teenagers or 9.7% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 21,101 people or 16.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 22,158 people or 17.6% are between 30 and 39, 18,016 people or 14.4% are between 40 and 49, and 13,940 people or 11.1% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 11,041 people or 8.8% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 8,277 people or 6.6% are between 70 and 79, there are 5,896 people or 4.7% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 1,171 people or 0.9% who are 90 and older.[33]

View from Rue du Grand-Pont

As of 2000[update], there were 58,100 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 48,990 married individuals, 7,797 widows or widowers and 10,027 individuals who are divorced.[31]

As of 2000[update] the average number of residents per living room was 0.64 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.61 per room.[30] In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m2 (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics.[34] About 6.5% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage or a rent-to-own agreement).[35]

As of 2000[update], there were 62,258 private households in the municipality, and an average of 1.9 persons per household.[30] There were 31,205 households that consist of only one person and 2,184 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 63,833 households that answered this question, 48.9% were households made up of just one person and there were 306 adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 13,131 married couples without children and 11,603 married couples with children. There were 3,883 single parents with a child or children. There were 2,130 households that were made up of unrelated people, and 1,575 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing.[31]

In 2000[update] there were 1,833 single family homes (or 23.1% of the total) out of a total of 7,925 inhabited buildings. There were 3,634 multi-family buildings (45.9%), along with 1,955 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (24.7%) and 503 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (6.3%). Of the single family homes 324 were built before 1919, while 153 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (498) were built between 1919 and 1945. The most multi-family homes (933) were built before 1919 and the next most (906) were built between 1919 and 1945. There were 180 multi-family houses built between 1996 and 2000.[36]

In 2000[update] there were 69,383 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 3 rooms of which there were 22,408. There were 9,579 single room apartments and 7,388 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 61,056 apartments (88.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 6,840 apartments (9.9%) were seasonally occupied and 1,487 apartments (2.1%) were empty.[36] As of 2009[update], the construction rate of new housing units was 2.1 new units per 1000 residents.[30]

As of 2003[update] the average price to rent an average apartment in Lausanne was 1064.08 Swiss francs (CHF) per month (US$850, £480, €680 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for a one-room apartment was 597.46 CHF (US$480, £270, €380), a two-room apartment was about 792.33 CHF (US$630, £360, €510), a three-room apartment was about 1044.64 CHF (US$840, £470, €670) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 2024.55 CHF (US$1620, £910, €1300). The average apartment price in Lausanne was 95.3% of the national average of 1116 CHF.[37] The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2010[update], was 0.17%.[30]

From the Reformation in the 16th century, the city was mostly Protestant until the late 20th century, when it received substantial immigration, particularly from largely Catholic countries. Catholics now form a plurality of the city's population.

From the 2000 census[update], 47,225 people (37.8% of the population) were Roman Catholic, while 33,993 (27.2%) belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 2,698 members of an Orthodox church (2.16%), there were 65 individuals (0.05%) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church, and there were 4,437 individuals (3.55%) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 849 individuals (0.68%) who were Jewish, and 7,501 (6.00%) who were Muslim. There were 452 individuals who were Buddhist, 772 individuals who were Hindu and 343 individuals who belonged to another church. 21,080 (16.88%) belonged to no church, were agnostic or atheist, and 7,590 individuals (6.08%) did not answer the question.[31]

In 2014 the crime rate, of crimes listed in the Swiss Criminal Code, in Lausanne was 167.3 per thousand residents. During the same period, the rate of drug crimes was 49.5 per thousand residents, and the rate of violations of immigration, visa and work permit laws was 21 per thousand residents.[38]

Lausanne became the first city in Switzerland to have a rubber-tyred metro system, with the m2 Line which opened in October 2008. The rolling stock is a shorter version of the one used on Paris Métro Line 14.[39] Further expansion of the system is planned, as is the re-introduction of trams.[40]

Lausanne is connected to the A1 motorway on its west side (Geneva - Zürich axis) and to the A9 on its north and east side (for transit with Italy and France); the interchange between these two motorways is on the north-west side of the city.

As of 2010[update], Lausanne had an unemployment rate of 8%. As of 2008[update], there were 114 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 25 businesses involved in this sector. 6,348 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 698 businesses in this sector. 83,157 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 6,501 businesses in this sector.[30]

There were 59,599 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 47.4% of the workforce. In 2008[update] the total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 75,041. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 93, of which 56 were in agriculture, 34 were in forestry or lumber production and 3 were in fishing or fisheries. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 6,057 of which 1,515 or (25.0%) were in manufacturing, 24 or (0.4%) were in mining and 3,721 (61.4%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 68,891. In the tertiary sector; 8,520 or 12.4% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 2,955 or 4.3% were in the movement and storage of goods, 4,345 or 6.3% were in a hotel or restaurant, 4,671 or 6.8% were in the information industry, 6,729 or 9.8% were the insurance or financial industry, 8,213 or 11.9% were technical professionals or scientists, 5,756 or 8.4% were in education and 14,312 or 20.8% were in health care.[42]

In 2000[update], there were 55,789 workers who commuted into the municipality and 19,082 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 2.9 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 1.9% of the workforce coming into Lausanne are coming from outside Switzerland, while 0.1% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work.[43] Of the working population, 40.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 35.1% used a private car.[30]

In Lausanne about 40,118 or (32.1%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 22,934 or (18.4%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule). Of the 22,934 who completed tertiary schooling, 38.7% were Swiss men, 31.3% were Swiss women, 17.1% were non-Swiss men and 12.9% were non-Swiss women.[31]

In the 2009/2010 school year there were a total of 12,244 students in the Lausanne school district. In the Vaud cantonal school system, two years of non-obligatory pre-school are provided by the political districts.[45] During the school year, the political district provided pre-school care for a total of 2,648 children of which 1,947 children (73.5%) received subsidized pre-school care. The canton's primary school program requires students to attend for four years. There were 6,601 students in the municipal primary school program. The obligatory lower secondary school program lasts for six years and there were 5,244 students in those schools. There were also 399 students who were home schooled or attended another non-traditional school.[46]

Lausanne is home to a number of museums including; the Collection de l'art brut, the Espace Arlaud, the Fondation de l'Hermitage, the Musée cantonal d'archéologie et d'histoire, the Musée cantonal de géologie, the Musée cantonal de zoologie, the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts, the Musée de l'Élysée and the Musée historique de Lausanne.[47] In 2009 the Collection de l'art brut was visited by 27,028 visitors (the average in previous years was 33,356). The Espace Arlaud was visited by 9,222 visitors (the average in previous years was 14,206). The Fondation de l'Hermitage was visited by 89,175 visitors (the average in previous years was 74,839). The Musée cantonal d'archéologie et d'histoire was visited by 14,841 visitors (the average in previous years was 15,775). The Musée cantonal de zoologie was visited by 30,794 visitors (the average in previous years was 30,392). The Musée cantonal de géologie was visited by 28,299 visitors (the average in previous years was 24,248). The Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts was visited by 26,456 visitors (the average in previous years was 26,384). The Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts was visited by 28,554 visitors (the average in previous years was 22,879). The Musée de l'Élysée was visited by 36,775 visitors (the average in previous years was 37,757). The Musée historique de Lausanne was visited by 23,116 visitors (the average in previous years was 22,851).[47]

As of 2000[update], there were 12,147 students in Lausanne who came from another municipality, while 2,258 residents attended schools outside the municipality.[43]

The Orchestre de chambre de Lausanne, the Lausanne Opera and the Ensemble vocal de Lausanne provide a diverse and rich musical life. The latter has been under the direction of Michel Corboz for many years.

In January, the Prix de Lausanne, a famous dance competition, takes place at the Palais de Beaulieu (the biggest theatre in Switzerland[50]) over a one-week period. The event attracts dancers and some of the big names in dance from all over the world.

The town hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 1989. Each July, the Festival de la cité is held in the old part of town. Other music festivals include the Bach Festival, the Festival et concours Bach de Lausanne, which follows the Nuit de musées (museums' night) in the fall season.

1.
Lausanne
–
Lausanne is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and the capital and biggest city of the canton of Vaud. The city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva and it faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura Mountains to its north-west. Lausanne is located 62 kilometres northeast of Geneva, Lausanne has a population of 146,372, making it the fourth largest city in Switzerland, with the entire agglomeration area having 420,000 inhabitants. The metropolitan area of Lausanne-Geneva was over 1.2 million inhabitants in 2000, Lausanne is a focus of international sport, hosting the International Olympic Committee, the Court of Arbitration for Sport and some 55 international sport associations. It lies in a noted wine-growing region, the city has a 28-station metro system, making it the smallest city in the world to have a rapid transit system. Lausanne will host the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics, by the 2nd century AD it was known as vikanor Lousonnensium and in 280 as lacu Lausonio. By 400 it was civitas Lausanna and in 990 it was mentioned as Losanna, after the fall of the Roman Empire, insecurity forced the transfer of Lausanne to its current centre, a hilly site that is easier to defend. The city which emerged from the camp was ruled by the Dukes of Savoy, then it came under Bern from 1536 to 1798 and a number of its cultural treasures, including the hanging tapestries in the Cathedral, were permanently removed. Lausanne has made a number of requests to recover them, after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, Lausanne became a place of refuge for French Huguenots. In 1729 a seminary was opened by Antoine Court and Benjamin Duplan, by 1750 ninety pastors had been sent back to France to work clandestinely, this number would rise to four hundred. Official persecution ended in 1787, a faculty of Protestant theology was established at Montauban in 1808, during the Napoleonic Wars, the citys status changed. In 1803, it became the capital of a newly formed Swiss canton, in 1964 the city hosted the Swiss National Exhibition, displaying its newly found confidence to host major international events. From the 1950s to 1970s a large number of Italians, Spaniards and Portuguese immigrated, settling mostly in the district of Renens. The city has served as a refuge for European artists, while under the care of a psychiatrist at Lausanne, T. S. Eliot composed most of his 1922 poem The Wasteland. Hemingway also visited from Paris with his wife during the 1920s, in fact, many creative people - such as Edward Gibbon, an historian, and Romantic era poets Shelley and Byron - have sojourned, lived, and worked in Lausanne or nearby. The city has been quiet, but in the late 1960s. Later demonstrations took place to protest against the high cinema prices, the most important geographical feature of the area surrounding Lausanne is Lake Geneva. Lausanne boasts a dramatic panorama over the lake and the Alps, in addition to its generally southward-sloping layout, the centre of the city is the site of an ancient river, the Flon, which has been covered since the 19th century

2.
Parliament
–
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative, elected body of government. Generally a modern parliament has three functions, representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government, historically, parliaments included various kinds of deliberative, consultative, and judicial assemblies. The term is derived from Anglo-Norman parlement, from the verb parler talk, the meaning evolved over time, originally any discussion, conversation, or negotiation, through various kinds of deliberative or judicial groups, often summoned by the monarch. By 1400, it had come to mean in Britain specifically the British supreme legislature, various parliaments are claimed to be the oldest in the world, under varying definitions. The Sicilian Parliament, whose first assembly was convened in 1097, the Icelandic Althing, year 930, but only including the main chiefs. Since ancient times, when societies were tribal, there were councils or a headman whose decisions were assessed by village elders, some scholars suggest that in ancient Mesopotamia there was a primitive democratic government where the kings were assessed by council. The same has been said about ancient India, where some form of deliberative assemblies existed, however, these claims are not accepted by most scholars, who see these forms of government as oligarchies. Ancient Athens was the cradle of democracy, the Athenian assembly was the most important institution, and every citizen could take part in the discussions. However, Athenian democracy was not representative, but rather direct, the Roman Senate controlled money, administration, and the details of foreign policy. Some Muslim scholars argue that the Islamic shura is analogous to the parliament, however, others highlight what they consider fundamental differences between the shura system and the parliamentary system. England has long had a tradition of a body of men who would assist, under the Anglo-Saxon kings, there was an advisory council, the Witenagemot. The name derives from the Old English ƿitena ȝemōt, or witena gemōt, the first recorded act of a witenagemot was the law code issued by King Æthelberht of Kent ca. 600, the earliest document which survives in sustained Old English prose, however, the Witan, along with the folkmoots, is an important ancestor of the modern English parliament. As part of the Norman Conquest of England, the new king, William I, did away with the Witenagemot, membership of the Curia was largely restricted to the tenants in chief, the few nobles who rented great estates directly from the king, along with ecclesiastics. William brought to England the feudal system of his native Normandy and this is the original body from which the Parliament, the higher courts of law, and the Privy Council and Cabinet descend. Of these, the legislature is formally the High Court of Parliament, only the executive government is no longer conducted in a royal court. Most historians date the emergence of a parliament with some degree of power to which the throne had to defer no later than the rule of Edward I, like previous kings, Edward called leading nobles and church leaders to discuss government matters, especially finance. A meeting in 1295 became known as the Model Parliament because it set the pattern for later Parliaments, in 1307, Edward I agreed not to collect certain taxes without the consent of the realm

3.
Lake Geneva
–
Lake Geneva is a lake on the north side of the Alps, shared between Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe and the largest on the course of the Rhône,59. 53% of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland, and 40. 47% under France. Lake Geneva has been explored by four submarines, the Auguste Piccard, forel, both built by Jacques Piccard, and the two Mir submersibles. Following the rise of Geneva it became Lac de Genève, in the 18th century, Lac Léman was revived in French and is the customary name in that language. In contemporary English, the name Lake Geneva is predominant, a note on pronunciation, English, Lake Geneva /ˌleɪk dʒᵻˈniːvə/ French, le lac Léman, le Léman or le lac de Genève German, Genfersee or Genfer See Italian, Lago Lemano, Lago di Ginevra. The Chablais Alps border is its southern shore, the western Bernese Alps lie over its eastern side, the high summits of Grand Combin and Mont Blanc are visible from some places. Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le lac Léman operates boats on the lake, the lake lies on the course of the Rhône. Other tributaries are La Dranse, LAubonne, La Morges, La Venoge, La Vuachère, Lake Geneva is the largest body of water in Switzerland, and greatly exceeds in size all others that are connected with the main valleys of the Alps. It is in the shape of a crescent, with the horns pointing south, the northern shore being 95 km, the crescent form was more regular in a recent geological period, when the lake extended to Bex, about 18 km south of Villeneuve. The lakes surface is the lowest point of the cantons of Valais, the culminating point of the lakes drainage basin is Monte Rosa at 4,634 metres above sea level. The beauty of the shores of the lake and of the sites of many of the places near its banks has long been celebrated, however, it is only from the eastern end of the lake, between Vevey and Villeneuve, that the scenery assumes an Alpine character. The shore between Nyon and Lausanne is called La Côte because it is flatter, between Lausanne and Vevey it is called Lavaux and is famous for its hilly vineyards. The average surface elevation of 372 m above sea level is controlled by the Seujet Dam in Geneva, simulations indicate that the Tauredunum event was most likely caused by a massive landslide near the Rhône delta, which caused a wave eight meters high to reach Geneva within 70 minutes. In 888 the town was part of the new Kingdom of Burgundy, in the late 1960s, pollution made it dangerous to swim at some beaches of the lake, indeed, visibility under water was near zero. By the 1980s, intense environmental pollution had almost wiped out all the fish, today, pollution levels have been dramatically cut back, and it is again considered safe to swim in the lake. Major leisure activities practiced include sailing, wind surfing, boating, rowing, on a scientific footnote, in 1827, Lake Geneva was the site for the first measurement of the speed of sound in water. The loud airborne sound coupled into the lake, establishing an underwater sound that could be measured at a distance. The flash of the exploding gunpowder provided the starting cue for the timepiece

4.
Bottens
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Bottens is a municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. Bottens is first mentioned in 1142 as Botens, Bottens has an area, as of 2009, of 6.89 square kilometers. Of this area,4.97 km2 or 72. 1% is used for agricultural purposes, of the rest of the land,0.53 km2 or 7. 7% is settled and 0.04 km2 or 0. 6% is unproductive land. Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 4. 6%, out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land,50. 8% is used for growing crops and 20. 6% is pastures, the municipality was part of the Echallens District until it was dissolved on 31 August 2006, and Bottens became part of the new district of Gros-de-Vaud. The municipality is located south-west of Echallens in the Gros-de-Vaud region, the blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules on a bend Argent a lion Sable. Bottens has a population of 1,223, as of 2008,10. 8% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has changed at a rate of 17. 9% and it has changed at a rate of 12. 3% due to migration and at a rate of 6. 1% due to births and deaths. Most of the population speaks French, with German being second most common, There are 7 people who speak Italian. Of the population in the municipality 267 or about 29. 1% were born in Bottens and lived there in 2000. There were 391 or 42. 6% who were born in the canton, while 136 or 14. 8% were born somewhere else in Switzerland. In 2008 there were 6 live births to Swiss citizens and 2 births to non-Swiss citizens, ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens remained the same while the foreign population increased by 1. There was 1 Swiss man who immigrated back to Switzerland, at the same time, there were 3 non-Swiss men and 6 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 was an increase of 8 and this represents a population growth rate of 1. 9%. The age distribution, as of 2009, in Bottens is,114 children or 10. 8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 154 teenagers or 14. 6% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population,121 people or 11. 5% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 156 people or 14. 8% are between 30 and 39,186 people or 17. 6% are between 40 and 49, and 136 people or 12. 9% are between 50 and 59. As of 2000, there were 386 people who were single, There were 440 married individuals,42 widows or widowers and 49 individuals who are divorced

5.
Pully
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Pully is a municipality in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, located in the district of Lavaux-Oron. It is one of the suburbs of the city of Lausanne, located on the shores of Lake Geneva and at the foot of the vineyards of Lavaux on the road to Vevey. Pully is first mentioned in 994 as Pulliacum, in 1826 a neolithic cemetery with about 30 graves was uncovered at Pierra-Portray. However, the artifacts were not fully preserved and only one flint blade, near Pierra-Portray, along the Chemin de Chamblandes, Albert Naef examined 23 tombs in 1901-10. These tombs belonging to a set of tombs which were sporadically excavated and recorded between 1880-1993. The local rectangular graves consisted of boxes assembled from four vertical slabs of about 1 meter in length, with a plate that served as a lid. The dead were lying on their side with their legs drawn up to the chest. The largest find of stone box graves in Pully was the cemetery at Chamblandes, due to the number of finds at Chamblandes, all similar cist or stone box graves in the surrounding area came to be known as Chamblandes type graves. The cemetery of Chamblandes extends over a length of about a hundred meters and included 76 graves and this Middle Neolithic graveyard included as grave goods, ocher, various commodities and jewelry. Two collars, one needle, a dagger and a bronze knife-blade hatchet are attributed to an early Bronze Age grave, in 1992 a cremation grave was discovered that dated from the Late Bronze Age. In the 1970s, while working on foundation of a terrace of the Le Prieuré building, the villa dates from the period between the second half of the 1st Century and 4th Century AD. The accompanying small thermal baths, a pool and several walls were already known from earlier excavations. The heart of the east wing of the villa is a multi-level, the lower hall is decorated with, in situ preserved, wall paintings which represent a chariot race. The painting dates from the first quarter of the 2nd Century, finds from the 4th and 5th Centuries show that the site was also, at least partially populated, during the late antiquity period. Between the 5th and 6th Century, the baths were converted into a Christian burial chapel with numerous burials, during the Carolingian era the additional buildings were built around the burial chapel. During the Early Middle Ages a cemetery was operating at Les Deserts, in the 10th Century the royal family of Burgundy granted their vineyards at Pully to Payerne Priory. The priory retained this land in Pully until 1536, in 1079, Bishop Burkhard of Oltigen received some property from the Emperor in Pully. This land had belonged to Rudolf of Swabia

6.
Renens
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Renens is a municipality in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. It is located in the district of Ouest Lausannois, and is a suburb of the city of Lausanne and it is the fourth largest city in the canton. It is considered a multiethnic town, as more than 50% of the inhabitants are resident foreign nationals from about a hundred different countries. Renens is first mentioned around 888-896 as in villa Runingis, Renens has an area, as of 2009, of 2. 96–2.95 square kilometers. Of this area,0.1 km2 or 3. 4% is used for agricultural purposes, of the rest of the land,2.78 km2 or 93. 9% is settled. Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 13. 9% of the area while housing and buildings made up 41. 6%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other developed areas made up 3. 4% of the area while parks. Out of the land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land,1. 0% is used for growing crops, the municipality was part of the Lausanne District until it was dissolved on 31 August 2006, and Renens became part of the new district of Ouest Lausannois. The municipality is the capital of the new district of Ouest lausannois and it is part of the agglomeration of Lausanne, and Lausanne Métro line 1 terminates at Renens railway station. The Swiss Federal Railway line connects Renens to Lausanne more directly, Renens is located close to junctions 17 and 18 of the A1 motorway. The blazon of the coat of arms is Gules, two Pales wavy Argent, Chief of the same. Renens has a population of 20,537, as of 2008,51. 2% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has changed at a rate of 14. 4% and it has changed at a rate of 10. 4% due to migration and at a rate of 5. 9% due to births and deaths. Most of the population speaks French, with Italian being second most common, There are 567 people who speak German and 11 people who speak Romansh. Of the population in the municipality 2,992 or about 16. 3% were born in Renens and lived there in 2000. There were 4,431 or 24. 1% who were born in the canton, while 2,566 or 13. 9% were born somewhere else in Switzerland. In 2008 there were 92 live births to Swiss citizens and 141 births to non-Swiss citizens, ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 16 while the foreign population increased by 112

7.
Saint-Sulpice, Vaud
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Saint-Sulpice is a municipality in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, located in the district of Ouest Lausannois. It is a suburb of the city of Lausanne, Saint-Sulpice is first mentioned in 1228 as Sanctus Surpiscius. Saint-Sulpice has an area, as of 2009, of 1.9 square kilometers, of this area,0.28 km2 or 15. 1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.13 km2 or 7. 0% is forested. Of the rest of the land,1.41 km2 or 75. 8% is settled. Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 6. 5% of the area while housing and buildings made up 41. 9%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other developed areas made up 3. 2% of the area while parks. Out of the land,5. 4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1. 6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land,13. 4% is used for growing crops and 1. 1% is pastures, the municipality was part of the Morges District until it was dissolved on 31 August 2006, and Saint-Sulpice became part of the new district of Ouest Lausannois. The municipality is located along Lake Geneva between the Venoge and Chamberonne river and it consists of the village of Saint-Sulpice, the residential development of Les Pierrettes and the industrial zone of En Champigny. The blazon of the coat of arms is Gules, Chief Argent. Saint-Sulpice has a population of 3,904, as of 2008,27. 3% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has changed at a rate of 4% and it has changed at a rate of 1. 6% due to migration and at a rate of 3. 1% due to births and deaths. Most of the population speaks French, with German being second most common, There are 58 people who speak Italian. Of the population in the municipality 377 or about 12. 9% were born in Saint-Sulpice and lived there in 2000. There were 1,015 or 34. 8% who were born in the canton, while 610 or 20. 9% were born somewhere else in Switzerland. In 2008 there were 15 live births to Swiss citizens and 16 births to non-Swiss citizens, ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 3 while the foreign population increased by 15. There were 4 Swiss men who immigrated back to Switzerland, at the same time, there were 25 non-Swiss men and 46 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 was a decrease of 58 and this represents a population growth rate of 0. 3%